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Shoujo Anime for Winter 2016: UPDATED

January 6, 2016

Let’s see what’s coming up to watch this winter anime season for romance fans.

Snow White with the Red Hair – Season 2

I know most of the audience is excitedly anticipating the second season of Snow White with the Red Hair. Rightly so, as it was very well executed this past summer. The series premieres in Japan on January 12th. Funimation has the rights for streaming and simul-dubbing so we will be getting to see it as it happens here in North America. Yay!

Nijiro Days (Rainbow Days)

Another shoujo manga turned anime that is airing in Japan is Nijiro Days, or Rainbow Days. It’s one of the more popular series in Betsuma magazine, and has 10 tankobans out in Japan. The series will be two-cour, and each episode will be about 15 minutes long. It premiers in Japan on January 10th. No word on if this one is going to be streamed and subbed yet in North America.

UPDATE: Funimation picked up this one! It will stream on Sundays and then be followed by the live action discussion with the Japanese voice actors. Yay!!

Synopsis: The story centers on a group of four male high school students who are close friends: Natsuki, Tomoya, Keiichi, and Tsuyoshi. The four boys have no club activities, and they hurry through their studies so they can spend their days having fun. Their main topic of interest: love. Natsuki has an unrequited crush on Anna, a girl from another class, and his friends keep meddling in their relationship.

Prince of Stride: Alternative

I was looking for the fujoshi harem anime for this season, and it looks like Prince of Stride: Alternative will satisfy that itch. It’s based on an otome game that’s developed by Kadokawa about boys who participate in a sport called “stride”. It premieres in Japan on January 5th. This one is produced by studio Madhouse and will also be streamed stateside by Funimation. So yay girls, we’ll be getting this one here as well. Who knew running could look sexy? This one is going on my watch list for sure!

Synopsis: The series is about an extreme form of sport known as “Stride.” It involves 6 players on a team that run relay races in towns. The story takes place at Honan Academy where first year high school students Takeru Fujiwara and Nana Sakurai try to recruit members for their “Stride” club. They request Riku Yagami to join with the help of Takeru and Nana. Their goal is to compete and win the “End of Summer,” a top competition hosted in Japan alongside other schools.

Norn9: Norn + Nonet

Of course all of our otome game fans will be anxiously anticipating Norn9: Norn + Nonet. That one looks like it will be starting on January 7. Sentai Filmworks announced the license for that one last week. It will be streaming on Hulu. It will eventually be dubbed as well. Yay!

Synopsis: The story takes place a little in the future. Guided by one particular song, young elementary school student Suzuhara Sorata, from the Heisei Era, is warped through a time skip to an unfamiliar place that looks much like the towns from the Meiji or Taishou period from his textbooks. In this world, he meets three young ladies and nine young men and joins them on a journey aboard the mysterious Norn ship, a giant globe that floats in midair.

Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuku

There’s another little gem that I’m not sure we’ll be seeing overseas. It’s a josei drama called Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. It’s based on a manga that runs in Kodansha’s Itan magazine and is set in the Showa period. It won the 38th Kodansha Manga Award for Best General Manga in 2014. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu premieres in Japan on January 8th. Sadly, no word yet on if this will be available to North American viewers.

UPDATE: Crunchyroll got the streaming license for this one, to my surprise! So this will begin streaming on Friday, January 8th.

Synopsis: When a certain man is released from prison, he knows exactly where he’s heading first. After falling in love with a traditional comic storyteller’s rendition of the story called “Shinigami,” he is determined to become his apprentice. The performer, Yakumo, has never taken an apprentice before, but to everyone’s surprise, he accepts the eager ex-prisoner, nicknaming him “Yotaro.”

As Yotaro happily begins his new life, he meets others in Yakumo’s life, including Yakumo’s ward Konatsu. Konatsu was the daughter of a famous storyteller, and Yakumo took her in after her father’s tragic death. Konatsu loved her father’s storytelling, and would love to become a performer in her own right—but that path is not available for women.

I’m late with my opinion, but Crunchyroll’s winter season is disappointing. This is the first time I am looking forward to Funimation’s lineup compared to Crunchyroll! I’m also not sure if I want to get a Hulu subscription just to watch Norn9. Maybe when all the episodes are released, I will. XD.

Yeah, there were a lot of people complaining how Norn was behind a paywall. I was actually considering a Funimation subscription, and if I hadn’t already gotten an annual Crunchyroll, I’d be switching. I am thrilled that we’re getting this much female aimed anime at all! Go Funimation!